A CONVERSATION WITH MYSELF to Make Its Debut at Toronto Fringe Festival

A new interactive performance work, A Conversation With Myself, will premiere as part of the 2026 Toronto Fringe Festival.

Created and produced by Michael Sachter, the production combines performance with voluntary audience participation and is built from hundreds of anonymous reflections collected through a public art installation. The piece is dramaturged by Kaitln Blanchard, directed by Damon Bradley Jang, and stage managed by Lisa Sciannella.

Performers Irena Huljack, Jajube Mandiela, Kaitlin Condie, and N.L. Lee portray 98 characters across a series of vignettes drawn from approximately 800 verbatim writings and conversations. The material originated from an interactive installation presented during the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival and later at Toronto City Hall Rotunda in collaboration with Hats On For Awareness.

According to the creators, the production explores themes including mental health, wellness, self-awareness, resilience, and personal reflection. Audience members will also have the opportunity to contribute their own anonymous thoughts as part of the experience.

"What makes this experience truly unique is that, for the first time ever, we are mounting a full production in the B Street Arts Hub beneath the TAPA offices," said director Damon Bradley Jang in a statement. "Rather than seeing the rehearsal space's limitations as constraints, we've reflected the smaller scale of a workshop performance by placing the audience in the round, creating an intimate environment where performers and spectators share the same space and energy."

Jang added that the production includes a recreation of the original art installation, allowing audience members to contribute new reflections to the project's growing archive. With participant permission, some submissions may be incorporated into performances later that day.

A Conversation With Myself will run June 30 through July 12 as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival at B Street Arts Hub, located at 1100 Bathurst Street in Toronto. The production runs approximately 60 minutes.

Performances are scheduled for June 30; July 2-3; and July 7-10 at 6:30 p.m. Performances on July 4 and July 11 will take place at 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., while performances on July 5 and July 12 will be held at 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.